House planning means



Sept. 12, .1950

w. TUNSTALL HOUSE PLANNING MEANS Filed July 21,' 1945 v INl-ENTOR.

[WA/WED 7&0527111. M

' Arr Patented Sept. 12, 1950 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE HOUSE PLANNING MEANS Wilfred Tunstall, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application July 21, 1945, Serial No. 606,321 I Claims. 01. 3516) My invention relates to a means designed for erecting or planning houses or homes and the accessories and furnishings therefor.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide a simple and economical means whereby a person desiring to erect or plan a house, home, accessories, or furnishings therefor, may do so with little effort and with variations.

Another important object of this invention is to provide novel means in the form of separate blocks which are variously slotted for receiving and movably supporting wall elements, building elements or sections, furnishings, fixtures, or the like, and in which such blocks are constructed and. arranged for supporting various elements in different positions and elements of various thicknesses.

An important object also of this invention is to provide novel arrangement of showing, locating, and supporting window and door openings on or relative to wall elements, and also a novel arrangement of elements for providing or showing wall-paper, hangings, and the like.

A further important object of this invention is to provide novel and simple means of forming and supporting furniture, fixtures, and the like.

With these and other objects in View, as will appear hereinafter, I have devised an erecting and planning means of the class mentioned having certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts and portions as will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the characters of reference thereon, which form a part of this application, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a wall section illustrating various parts of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar perspective view with the Wall-paper and other parts omitted;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a preferred form of block for supporting various wall and other elements; and,

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of an article of furniture formed in accordance with and by the means of my invention.

One of the principal elements of my invention is the block I illustrated in Fig. 3. This block is designed to support in upright positions the various elements forming the wall, fixtures, articles of furniture, and the like.

As shown, it has a pair of intersecting and preferably right angle vertical slots or slits, Each slot consists of a wide slit i and a narrow 2 slit 5 formed in the middle of the bottom of the former.

The simpler form of wall construction is shown in Fig. 2. The wall element 2, shown in this view and in Fig. 1, consists of a stiff paper or cardboard folded upon itself, with the fold at the upper edge and the flaps folded together and the lower edges thereof inserted into the narrow slit l If one end'of the wall element 2 is intended to form a corner of a building, the wall element is inserted only to the center of the block. Another similar wall element 3 is inserted with one end into the slit l positioned at right angles to the former. When onlythe wall elements described are inserted into the slits of the block, only narrow slits may be provided in the block, and these slits may extend only to the middle of or part way into the block.

The member t which designates a wall opening, such as a door or window, is also made by folding a relatively stiff paper member upon itself and hanging the fold portion over the upper edge of the wall element. Both flaps have the nature of the opening pictured thereon so that it may be indicated on the inside and outside of the wall. The lower edges of the flaps are short of the lower edge of the wall element and both are inserted into and held by the wide slit I of a block I located below the wall opening. At the same time this block receives and locates the portion of the wall element below the member 4. If desired the various elements may be temporarily fastened together by wedging the members 2, 3, 4, or others, into the slits, such as by inserting into the slits the ends of tooth picks 5.

The wall elements are so arranged that wallpaper may be readily displayed on the inner side of the wall. This may be done by providing flaps 6* at the lateral ends of wall-paper members 6. These flaps 6 are inserted into the ends of and between the flaps of the folded wall elements, as shown in Fig. 1.

The wall-paper members are provided with vertically spaced horizontal slits 6 and 6 between which the inner flap of the window indicating member l is threaded.

The upper slit 5* is preferably long enough so that one end of a drape indicating member 8 may be inserted therein, as shown in Fig. 1. The other end of the drape indicating member 3 may be folded under the wall paper member, as shown.

In the structure shown in Fig. 1 a block I may also be rovided at the bottom edge of the wall element to secure all members together,

In Fig. 4 I have shown an article of furniture, in the form of a bed, made by folding a relatively stiff piece of paper 9 so that there is a fold or double thickness, designated by portions 9 and 9 which is inserted in a slit in the block, preferably, the wider one.

In the several views of the drawings, the elements held by the blocks are doubled or folded, providing an expansible or slightly resilient portion to provide greater friction for holding such portion in the locating slit.

Though I have shown and described a particular construction, combination, and arrangement of parts and portions, I do not wish to be' limited to the same, but desire to include in the scope of my invention, the construction, combination, and arrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a means of the class described, supporting wall blocks having vertical slits, a wall element folded upon itself with the fold at the upper edge and the separate lower edge portions positioned in said slits and supported in a vertical position thereby, and a wall-paper member having flaps at the lateral ends inserted between the folds of the wall element.

2. In a means of the class described, supporting wall blocks having vertical slits in their upper sides and a relatively narrow slit at the bottom of the former slits, a wall element folded upon itself with the fold at the upper edge and the separate lower edge portions positioned in said narrow slits and supported in a vertical position thereby, a wall-paper member having flaps at the lateral ends inserted between the folds of the wall element, the wall-paper member having vertically spaced horizontal slits, and a folded wall-openingdesignating member hung with its fold over the folded portion at the upper edge of the wall element and its inner iiap threaded between the slits of the wall-paper member in such a manner that the portion between the slits is exposed at the inner side of the wall element, the lower edges of the wall-opening-designating member being located by the wide slit of one of the blocks.

3. In a means of the class described, a supporting wall block having a relatively wide vertical slit in its upper side and a relatively narrow vertical slit at the bottom of the former, a sheet wall member positioned and frictionally but removably secured with its lower edge in the relatively narrow slit, and a second sheet wall member positioned and frictionally but removably secured with its lower edge in the first slit against the first wall member.

4. In a means of the class described, a supporting wall block having a relatively wide vertical slit in its upper side and a relatively narrow vertical slit at the bottom of the former, a sheet wall member positioned and frictionally but removably secured with its lower edge in the relatively narrow slit, and a second sheet wall member folded upon itself and over the upper edge of the first wall member, the lower edges of the second wall member being positioned in and frictionally but removably secured within the first slit and against the opposite sides of the first wall member.

5. In a means of the class described, supporting wall blocks having vertical slits in their upper sides, a wall element folded upon itself with the fold at the upper edge and the separate lower edge portions positioned in said slits and supported in a vertical position by the opposite side portions of the slits, a wall-paper member having flaps at the lateral ends inserted between the folds of the wall element, the wall-paper member having vertically spaced horizontal slits, and a folded wallopening-designating member hung with its fold over the folded portion at the upper edge of the wall element and its inner flap threaded between the slits of the wall-paper member in such a manner that the portion between the slits is exposed at the inner side of the wall element, the lower edges of the wall-opening-designating member being located by the side walls of the slit of one of the blocks.

WILFRED TUNSTALL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 456,322 Fetherson July 21, 1891 656,130 Whipple Aug. 14, 1900 715,532 Anderson Dec. 9, 1902 1,182,980 Converse May 16, 1916 1,273,945 Sooy July 30, 1918 1,368,868 Wertman Feb. 15, 1921 1,426,087 Metcalfe Aug. 15, 1922 1,449,519 Layton Mar. 27, 1923 1,704,793 Field Mar. 12, 1929 1,902,136 Mills Mar. 21, 1933 2,127,047 Pinney Aug. 16, 1938 2,135,590 Moses 1 Nov. 8, 1938 2,200,446 Fisher May 14, 1940 2,225,612 Allen Dec. 24, 1940 2,284,458 Van Antwerp May 26, 1942 2,293,441 Meyer Aug. 18, 1942 2,315,463 Tingley Mar. 30, 1943 2,408,272 Roach Sept. 24, 1946 ail nlhh. 

